Thousands of workers at the Department for Work and Pensions will vote on whether to strike over pay, with potential disruption to Universal Credit, PIP, pensions and Jobcentre services
Tens of thousands of government workers are set to begin voting on Monday over potential strike action amid an ongoing row over wages. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has revealed that 50,000 of its members working for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will face ballots in the coming weeks to decide whether to embark on industrial action.
These union members are employed across Jobcentres, universal credit service centres, personal independence payment centres, pension centres and child maintenance offices. The PCS has highlighted that 25,000 staff in the three lowest pay bands will see their wages drop to just the national living wage come April, with the union claiming this has sparked a recruitment crisis within the department.
PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote explained the union’s position: “Strike action is always the last resort. Our members want to work. They are proud of the job they do in DWP because they know it’s of great value to society, but this level of poverty pay is not sustainable. Members across the department have told us that they are struggling financially as debt spirals, and as workplace stress increases, people’s mental health further deteriorates.”
She added: “The functioning of the welfare state depends on our members’ hard work and goodwill, but DWP has some of the lowest-paid members in the civil service, paid well below the market value for their skilled work.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring competitive pay for all employees and we have listened to feedback from trade unions, which helped influence the final offer and considered the upcoming national living wage increase. The current pay award reflects our ongoing efforts to balance various priorities and meet our staffing needs.”
The industrial action threatens to cause hold-ups and chaos for anyone visiting Jobcentres or pension centres, as well as those seeking to claim or already receiving benefits such as Universal Credit and PIP.